


Under the Influence

by AkaiTsume



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Drug-Induced Confessions, First Kiss, First Time, Humor, M/M, Poor Daryl, Sexy Dancing, prison era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-21 03:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1536131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkaiTsume/pseuds/AkaiTsume
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Rick eats the wrong mushrooms, proclaims himself the god of sexy dancing, and hits on Daryl shamelessly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under the Influence

“All right, everyone, soup’s on!” Carol called out cheerfully. The various residents of the prison flocked to the outdoor grill, chattering amiably in the night air. Daryl inhaled the scent of grilled rabbit, nodding to himself in satisfaction. The snares had been working wonders lately, with fewer and fewer prey stolen by walkers. With any luck, they could get a real lull between herds and have the chance to really fortify their home.

Running through a mental checklist of fences that needed shoring up, Daryl folded his arms over his chest and scanned the crowd. At least a few of them should be fawning over Rick right now to thank him for bringing in so much food. After a few minutes of searching, Daryl frowned. Rick was nowhere to be seen.

Daryl weaved his way through the crowd and ducked behind the grill. He leaned close to Carol as she continued steadily loading and distributing plates of food.

“You seen Rick?” he asked quietly. Carol glanced at him.

“Not for a while, no. He dropped off the rabbits a couple of hours ago.” She frowned and looked around. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since then.”

Daryl grunted. “Alright, thanks. I’ll go take a look around, see if I can’t find him. Set somethin’ aside for him?”

Carol’s eyes glinted with humor, and she smirked as she turned back to the cooking meat. “Just for him, huh? Not for you?”

Daryl glowered, an uncomfortable warmth rising up his neck. “Just set something aside, will you?”

“Can do,” she agreed easily. Sasha, who was receiving a plate and overheard the entire exchange, raised her eyebrows and smiled at Daryl. Discomfited, Daryl nodded sharply at Carol and left the nook behind the grill. As he moved away, he could feel their knowing gazes burning holes into his back.

He made his way towards the front yard, rolling his shoulders. _It ain’t weird that I want to make sure he’s looked after_ , he mused grumpily. _Ain’t nobody else doing it, and it’s not like Rick is great at taking care of himself either._ Daryl shook his head.   _And the way I feel about him has nothing to do with it_.

It was a good thing that Merle wasn’t around to see him lately, Daryl noted darkly. He’d been drawn to Rick quickly, everyone knew that, but he’d never expected to grow _this_ attached to another man. Most days, Rick was the only thing on his mind. What was Rick doing, where was Rick, was Rick eating properly, was he sleeping, was he cuddling with Judith again because that always set off an honest-to-god horde of motherfucking _butterflies_ in Daryl’s stomach—

Daryl scowled. _When_ exactly he’d turned into a prepubescent girl with a crush, he didn’t fucking know, but it needed to stop. Rick was straight. He was a cop with a wife he’d fucked regularly and at least one legitimate kid as a result of it. Worse still, Rick actually _respected_ Daryl, which was more than he could say for anyone else he’d ever known. The last thing he needed was for Rick to find out about Daryl’s… _needs_ , get disgusted by them, and never talk to Daryl again.

He grimaced. _That’s unfair. More likely, Rick would just get extremely awkward around me_. _And maybe just…not want to be alone with me anymore._

It was fucking tragic.

Sighing, the archer shook off his troubled thoughts. He passed the gate and headed towards Rick’s little farm, hoping to catch the other man tending to the livestock despite the dark. As he approached the pig pen, however, Daryl noticed that the light from the courtyard barely reached this far. He made a quick circuit around the pen, but Rick was absent. Concerned, Daryl took a look at the crops, but if he’d expected to find a sleeping Rick who’d decided to take a nap out there, he was sorely mistaken. Huffing, Daryl planted his hands on his hips.

He knew Rick wasn’t in their cell block because it had been empty when Daryl himself had come outside. If he wasn’t inside, wasn’t in the courtyard eating, and wasn’t in the garden, where the hell was he?

As he turned back towards the courtyard, he noticed a light up in one of the watchtowers. A single shadow moved across it. He frowned. One of the Woodbury adults was on watch tonight, and if he remembered correctly, she preferred the other tower, always insisting that it had a better view. Daryl glanced up at that tower, and as he’d figured, the woman was there, gazing out into the night with a pair of binoculars. The lights were out behind her so as not to ruin her night vision. He turned his gaze back to the lit tower and shrugged.

 _Worth a shot, I guess_.

Daryl strode over to the lit watchtower and climbed the stairs, eyebrows furrowing. He could hear some quiet singing coming from the top of the stairs, the voice a pleasant tenor.

“Fly me to the moon, and let me playyyy among the stars…”

Blinking, Daryl stepped out into the lit watch room. Lanterns flickered merrily away, casting their glow upon Rick, who was standing by the outer railing and waving his arms as if conducting a band.

“Let me see what spring is like onnnn Jupiter and Mars,” Rick continued, unaware of Daryl’s presence. “In other words, pleeease be true. In other words…”

Daryl cleared his throat, causing Rick to spin around in surprise. The sheriff’s deputy grinned.

“I love you!” Rick damn near shouted. Daryl blinked. Rick laughed, leaned back against the railing, and waved. “Hi, Daryl!”

The archer approached warily. There was something distinctly off about Rick. His posture, his smile, his eyes… When he got closer, he could see that Rick’s pupils were blown wide, swallowing the blue irises almost completely. Daryl frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Rick abruptly shoved his hand in Daryl’s face. The archer froze, staring at Rick through the other man’s fingers. Rick gazed at him, wide-eyed.

“Daryl…” he whispered. “You’re glowing.”

“…What.”

“You’re _glowing_.” Rick leaned in close, his breath brushing against Daryl’s cheeks. “Are you magic?”

 _Fucking Christ, is he high?_ Daryl gently peeled Rick’s hand off his face.

“No, Rick, I’m not magic. How ‘bout you tell me what’s going on, huh?” Daryl sniffed the other man, but he couldn’t detect any trace of pot, and Rick didn’t seem like the type. “You eaten something funny lately?”

Rick, who’d been staring at his captured hand like he’d never seen it before, snapped his gaze back up to meet Daryl’s. He nodded emphatically.

“Mushrooms!” he declared.

There was a beat of silence. Daryl’s stomach dropped.

“You ate mushrooms?” When Rick nodded, Daryl dropped the other man’s hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Rick, if you didn’t recognize the mushroom, why didn’t you come get me first?”

“I _did_ recognize it!” Rick insisted indignantly. “It was my favorite kind of mushroom! And I would’ve shared, but there was only one, so I just ate it by myself after I gave the rabbits to Carol.” He paused, and his face fell. “Are you mad because I didn’t share? I would’ve shared with _you_ , Daryl.”

“No, Rick, I’m not mad because you didn’t share,” Daryl replied, pointedly ignoring the strange emphasis in Rick’s statement. “I’m actually very glad that you didn’t share. I don’t think it was your favorite mushroom, though, man.”

“It _was_. I know my mushrooms, Daryl. I’m a _cop_.”

“And even cops can make mistakes,” the archer sighed. “Your favorite mushroom ever make you feel funny before, Rick?”

That made the other man pause. He tapped his chin in an exaggerated motion, then shook his head, smiling bashfully.

“Don’t think so. It was the wrong kind?”

“It was definitely the wrong kind, man.” Daryl pressed the back of his hand against Rick’s forehead. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to have a fever. “How long ago did you eat it?”

“Ten years ago.”

Daryl gave him an unimpressed look, but Rick returned his gaze without a speck of humor in his expression. Daryl closed his eyes, took a breath, and opened them.

“Let’s try this again. Did you eat it right after you gave the rabbits to Carol, or did you wait?”

“Carol works hard, you know that? I think she’s—oh, wait, what? I ate it right away. Found it when I was checking the snares. I love mushrooms. Did I ever tell you that?”

“You’re not gonna love them anymore,” Daryl muttered wryly. “Alright, so it’s been in your system for a while.” He looked around, suddenly noticing that Rick was wavering a bit on his feet. He took the other man’s arm and started tugging him into the room. “Hey, let’s get you away from the balcony, alright?”

“Why? The stars are pretty. I was making them move.”

Despite himself, Daryl’s lips twitched. Rick’s expression was so earnest, completely at odds with his crazed hair and dazed eyes.

“You need to come inside because your balance is shot. We’ll get some water into you,” he coaxed. Rick shook his head violently, tugging his arm out of Daryl’s grip with an unexpected burst of movement.

“My balance isn’t shot! I was _dancing_.”

Daryl snorted, then stifled a laugh when Rick reacted with an affronted expression. “Man, if that’s dancing, you’re in trouble.”

“ _Hey_.” Rick stumbled closer to Daryl, invading the archer’s personal space. Humor abruptly deserting him, Daryl swallowed hard and leaned away. Rick widened his eyes and issued intently, “I’ll have you know, I am a _fantastic_ dancer.”

Rick’s face was an inch away from his own. Unbidden, Daryl’s eyes dropped down to the other man’s lips. He swallowed again and stepped back, looking away awkwardly.

“I’m sure you are, Rick. Now come on, let’s—”

“No. You don’t get it. I am the _best_ dancer. I am the _king_.” Rick grabbed Daryl’s shoulders. “ _I am the god of sexy dancing_.”

Daryl couldn’t stop a surprised laugh from bursting from his lips. “That a fact?”

“ _Yes_.” Rick shoved at Daryl, walking the archer backwards into the watch room. “In fact, I’m gonna show you.”

Daryl nearly tripped. “Wait, what? Rick, you don’t have to show me anything.”

“Yes, I do,” Rick insisted. “I need to show you that I can be sexy. I am _unrelentingly_ sexy. And you need to see it.”

 _Oh, fuck me, you have no idea what you’re doing to me_. Daryl closed his eyes.

“Rick, I know you’re a very attractive man.”

A finger jabbed into his chest made Daryl open his eyes. Rick glowered at him.

“Not the same thing. Attractive and sexy are _not_ the same. _Michonne’s_ attractive. She’s got…” Rick made a cupping motion in front of his chest and frowned down at his hands. “…Lady parts.”

Daryl’s heart sank. Of course Rick was interested in Michonne. Why wouldn’t he be, especially now that she’d opened up and started showing her friendly side? When he lowered his eyes, Rick continued.

“So Michonne’s attractive. _You’re_ sexy.”

Daryl froze, his heart skipping a beat. Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet Rick’s. He could feel a flush spreading across his cheeks. Awkwardly, he shrugged.

“Sexy? Man, I’m not [sexy](http://24.media.tumblr.com/afd2811f6ca576f160eee60f53b1eb1f/tumblr_n4b309LbVB1rlqonxo7_250.gif),” he deflected. Rick responded by shaking his head.

“You _are_. You are _stupidly_ sexy, with your…you. And I’m going to show you that _I’m_ sexy, too, so we can be sexy together.”

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck. He doesn’t mean it, he’s fucking high as balls._ Daryl cleared his throat, and he tried to ignore his suddenly pounding heart and twisting stomach.

“Alright, Rick, you win. You’re sexy. Now will you come lie down?” he pleaded.

Rick shook his head determinedly. “No. I have to _show_ you. I’ma show you the dance that won me Lori. Then you’ll be sexy with me.”

 _Fuck, Rick, I’ll be sexy with you any time you want_. Daryl shook that thought off as best he could, his cheeks burning. Feeling a bit trapped, he looked around the room for a distraction. Unfortunately, Rick took advantage of his hesitation and positioned himself between Daryl and the door. The lantern’s light splashed across his front, highlighting the sheen of sweat on his chest through the v of his shirt. Rick stared at him intently.

“I’m going to do this dance, and you’re going to fall in love with me,” Rick stated confidently. He pointed at the mess of blankets and pillows in the far corner of the room. “And then we’re going to desecrate Glenn and Maggie’s love nest.”

Daryl’s heart just about stopped. His jaw went slack. **_What_** _did he just say??_

While Daryl tried to reboot his brain, Rick looked around and determinedly formed his stance, legs spaced shoulder-width apart. He made a fist, clasped it in his other hand, and raised them above his head. Ducking his chin, he stared at Daryl with fire in his eyes.

“Are you ready?” he demanded. Struck dumb, Daryl slowly nodded. “Good. Now listen to the music.”

 _There isn’t any music_ , Daryl thought desperately, but no words would leave his mouth. After a moment, Rick’s hips began to sway. He gyrated them slowly, thighs flexing in his tight jeans. He gradually picked up the pace, making larger and larger sweeps with his [hips](http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d9/71/df/d971dfd183504349c381f4b83a5e27ee.jpg) that began to affect his torso. Soon, his whole upper body was flexing in sinuous waves as he danced to music that only he could hear. All the while, his unflinching, hot gaze burned holes through Daryl’s chest.

“This is part one of the sexy dance,” Rick informed him in a low voice that shot through Daryl and burned like alcohol. “Now for part two.”

Without further warning, Rick spread his feet and dropped into a squat, [rolling](http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view/320507/rain-hip-song-hip-o.gif) his hips in a manner that probably would’ve been illegal if the world still had a justice system. Daryl let out a helpless grunt at the arousal that coursed through him, eyes fixed on Rick’s gyrating pelvis.

It was a good thing they weren’t being attacked, because Daryl couldn’t have looked away if his _life depended on it_.

At some point, Rick must have decided that he’d made his point, and he straightened up in one long, serpentine roll. Daryl’s eyes were still fused to Rick’s hips, and he watched, mesmerized, as those hips strode over to him. It wasn’t until Rick’s hands landed on his shoulders that he looked up, eyes full of shocked, helpless arousal. Rick’s eyes were still burning with fire. Daryl swallowed reflexively, certain that he’d never been so turned on in his life.

And then, without warning, Rick kissed him.

Daryl would deny the squeak he let out until his dying day. His eyes fell closed, and he found himself wrapping his arms desperately around the other man. Their lips moved frantically over each other’s, tongues tangling. Rick’s hands immediately started wandering, passing over Daryl’s shoulders, neck, back, and hips. The sheriff’s deputy’s fingers squeezed Daryl’s hips and tugged him closer, bringing their erections into firm, electric contact. Daryl gasped involuntarily, and his brain kicked back online.

“Wait!” he gasped, pulling away from Rick’s lips with some serious effort. Rick let out a low noise of displeasure and began pressing wet kisses along Daryl’s chin. Daryl shut his eyes, gathering the tattered remains of his dignity. “Rick, _stop_.”

To his credit, the incredibly inebriated man paused, lips clamped on Daryl’s earlobe. Rick pulled away, glaring woozily at Daryl.

“Why?”

Daryl’s life _sucked_. He pulled away reluctantly, wincing at Rick’s incensed stare.

“Rick, you’re _high as a kite_. We can’t do this.”

Rick, the unbelievably unfair bastard, _pouted_ at him. “Why not? Didn’t the dance work?”

Daryl fought down the urge to laugh hysterically. “No, Rick, the dance definitely worked, but…you wouldn’t want this if you weren’t high.” That sobering thought killed the rest of his erection as his heart sank into his feet. “Hell, if you even remember this later, you’re probably going to fucking _hate_ me.”

Rick’s pout turned into a frown, and he reached out to firmly grip Daryl’s head.

“Daryl, I would _never_ hate you,” he stated adamantly. “And I want this with you all the time.”

Daryl gave him a pained smile. “For the last ten years?”

Rick shook his head. “Longer than that. Way longer. Since…I dunno. At _least_ since we got here.”

The archer started. _He can’t mean that_. “Here as in the prison, or here as in up here in the watchtower?”

“The _prison_ , dumbass.” Rick rolled his eyes, which turned out to be a bad idea as his balance immediately left him. Daryl’s arms shot out to catch him as he stumbled. “I wanted. I just didn’t say nothin’.”

Daryl’s mind was reeling. “But that can’t. That can’t be true. You still had Lori then.”

Rick snorted. “Me ‘n’ Lori stopped working long before that. Didn’t stop me from wanting you.”

Heart pounding, Daryl shook his head. “That doesn’t…” _He’s high, he’s high, he’s high, and he doesn’t know what he’s saying._ Forcing himself to calm down, Daryl shook his head. “Tell you what, if you tell me you want this when you’re sober, I’ll take you up on it, alright?”

 _Like that’s ever going to happen_. Daryl sighed.

Rick squinted at him. “You promise?”

The archer nodded. “Promise. Now will you let me get some water into you?” he asked wearily, his spirits falling.

Rick eyed him, then nodded warily. “Okay. But only if we get to neck in Glenn and Maggie’s love nest like a couple of teenagers.”

Despite himself, Daryl chuckled. “What is it with you and their love nest?”

Rick let himself be towed over to the blankets and settled down on them with Daryl. Luckily, a water bottle had been stationed nearby, and Rick obediently drank from it when Daryl handed it to him. The cop shook his head.

“Wasn’t fair. They’ve been getting nookie on the regular, and I haven’t,” he replied petulantly. Daryl snorted.

“Never mind. Just calm down, okay? Drink your water.”

Rick took several more sips, staring glumly at the floor. Abruptly, he turned towards the archer, who had leaned his back against the wall.

“Daryl.”

“Yes?” he returned warily.

“I think I’m high. Like, really, really high.” Rick made a grand swooping gesture with his hand, his expression solemn. He followed it with a deadpan, “Wheeeee.”

“Wheee,” Daryl agreed seriously. “Come on, man. Maybe you should try and sleep it off.”

Rick sighed dramatically. “Alright.”

To Daryl’s surprise, instead of simply lying down, Rick threw his arms around Daryl’s waist and planted his face in the archer’s stomach. After a startled moment, Daryl exhaled slowly. When Rick showed no sign of moving, Daryl tentatively placed his hand on the other man’s head and began stroking his hair. Rick sighed contentedly.

Leaning his head back against the wall, Daryl stared at the ceiling. “Just don’t hate me when you wake up, ok?” he whispered.

After a beat, Rick mumbled sleepily into Daryl’s stomach. “Never.”

*             *             *

Several hours later, Rick let out a sudden, loud groan, startling Daryl awake. He looked down at the other man apprehensively, his heart pounding.

“Rick?” he asked tentatively. He was rewarded with another groan. “How are you feeling?”

“Like somebody stomped on my head,” Rick replied grouchily. “What the fuck happened?”

“Well…” Daryl hesitated. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Rick still hadn’t lifted his head from Daryl’s stomach. After a minute, he replied, “I checked the snares, gathered up the rabbits we caught, set the snares again. I found some mushrooms. Came back, gave the rabbits to Carol, ate the mushroom I picked, and…”

He trailed off, and the two men sat in silence. Daryl took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

Eventually, he ventured, “And then?”

Rick didn’t respond. Daryl eyed him anxiously, but his eyebrows rose when he spotted a telltale flush creeping up Rick’s ears.

Startled, he prompted, “Rick?”

The other man awkwardly cleared his throat, and his ears turned even redder. “Daryl, did I…dance?”

Daryl choked on a surprised laugh. “You, ah. You may have.” When Rick let out a long, mortified groan into Daryl’s stomach, the archer couldn’t help but chuckle. “You said it was the dance that won you Lori.”

“I need you to shoot me. In the head. Use two bullets, we’ve got spares.”

Daryl’s face cracked in a grin. “Why would I do that? I gotta admit, it was an impressive dance.”

“You are the absolute worst,” Rick grumbled. He finally peeled his head off Daryl’s torso and clumsily sat up, rubbing at his beet red face. For the first time since the apocalypse started, Daryl wished he had a camera. He’d never seen Rick so embarrassed. He’d seen Rick angry, content, murderous, grieving, and cracked in the head, but he’d never seen the man flush with embarrassment. It was a surprisingly pleasant sight.

“I can’t believe you ate the wrong kind of mushroom, man. You’re lucky it didn’t make you sick,” he chided. Rick winced.

“Well, I _thought_ I knew what I was doing. Think I’ll leave that to the experts from now on.” Rick wouldn’t meet his eyes, eyebrows furrowed and lips turned down. After a moment, he offered hesitantly, “And…I’m sorry if I…said anything inappropriate.”

Unbidden, Daryl’s heart started pounding again. He straightened up, pulling his back away from the wall.

“What do you mean?”

Rick ground the heel of his left hand into his brow ridge. The muscles in his jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth.

“I’m just saying that if I said anything you didn’t want to hear…” He trailed off, then sighed and finished miserably, “I’d appreciate it if you’d forget it.”

Daryl stared at him in shock. _There’s no way… Did he actually mean it?_ Breathing deeply, he decided to take a small risk.

“What if…” He paused, cleared his throat, and tried again. “What if I liked what I heard?”

Rick stilled. After a moment, he lifted his head. His face was expressionless as his eyes locked with Daryl’s. Eventually, he swallowed.

“You liked what you heard?”

“Some of it.” Daryl fought to keep his tone light. “Wasn’t fond of the part where you talked about Michonne’s ‘lady parts.’”

“I  _what?_ ” Rick bleated. “I don’t…fuck. Don’t you _dare_ tell her I said that, Daryl, I swear to god—”

“But I gotta admit, I liked the part where you called me sexy,” Daryl interrupted, forced casualness heavy in his strained voice.

Rick paused, his eyebrows flying up. He stared at Daryl. Slowly, he replied, “Well, it is true.”

Rick’s eyes were filled with equal parts hope and fear. Daryl felt something warm bubbling up in his chest, nearly choking him with shocked, disbelieving happiness. He forced a shrug.

“To be honest, I’ve been thinking the same thing about you.”

Rick’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward. “Yeah?”

Daryl’s eyes dropped to Rick’s lips. “There’s something else you said that I liked, too.”

Rick shifted closer. “And what was that?”

Daryl met his gaze bravely. Rick’s eyes were blazing again. Daryl swallowed.

“You said something about desecrating this little love nest we’re sitting in.”

Rick grinned, his entire face transforming with humor and desire. “I think I can get on board with that.”

The sheriff’s deputy abruptly leaned forward, catching Daryl’s lips in a firm kiss. Unhampered by any moral dilemmas, Daryl relaxed into the kiss and tangled a hand in Rick’s hair. When the other man pushed Daryl down onto his back and stretched out on top of him, Daryl let his free hand slide down and cupped Rick’s ass. Grinning, he pulled Rick’s head back.

“Wouldn’t mind seeing that dance again sometime, though,” he teased in a low voice. Rick chuckled.

“Works every time.”

**Author's Note:**

> Because Tom Hiddleston is a sexy mofo, and men need to learn to use their hips like Rain does. And seriously, Norman Reedus? You know you're gorgeous, stop playin'. ^_^
> 
> Crossposted to my [tumblr](http://akaitsume.tumblr.com/). Come hang out with me! ^_^


End file.
